Slow Horses Season 3 Review: Change of Pace, But with Our Feet on the Ground

Cast: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott

Created By: Will Smith

Streaming Platform: Apple TV+

Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4.5/5 (four and a half stars)

This is the premise of Slow Horses Season 3, the acclaimed series produced for Apple TV+ which will arrive in streaming starting next November 29th: Catherine Standish never arrives late for work, even if it is the boring catalog of hundreds of useless boxes in an equally “useless” like Slough House. Jackson Lamb immediately understands that something is not right, and in fact, his protégé was kidnapped the evening before by a group of criminals led by Sean Donovan, an ex-spy who wants to get to a document kept in the basement of the IM 5 headquarters. And who to use as bait if not River Cartwright, the most idealistic and impetuous of Lamb’s so-called “Slow Horses“? If the cumbersome critical success of Succession were not involved, Slow Horses could win without any ifs or buts the title of best series in the Apple TV+ catalog. Split itself will do well to give its all in its second season, because otherwise the series based on the novels by Mick Herron and adapted for the small screen by screenwriter Will Smith will shake that crown.

In a period in which the new length standard for TV series is now reduced to a couple of seasons, the confirmation of Slow Horses for a third and fourth cycle of episodes represented a very strong signal from Apple TV+. In the last two years, the gripping spy story with Gary Oldman based on the novels of the British writer Mick Herron has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations (here is our review of Slow Horses Season 2) and has managed to conquer that throne of the genre left vacant by the excellent Homeland and The Americans. If the first season was able to emerge with originality, adopting the evocative point of view of a gang of failed spies and offering us an unprecedented mix of dark humor and strictly British old-school espionage, the second season instead relaunched in style, offering us a story of close current affairs in the shadow of the Russian crisis. After an unexpected death, many twists, and a solid ending, in this review of the third season of Slow Horses we find out if Jackson Lamb and his shabby agents of the House of Pantano succeeded – at least in this! – not to fail, and to remain as irresistible as we remember them.

Slow Horses Season 3 Review: The Story

In a cinematographic and television panorama in which the figure of the spy has now become a guaranteed synonym of unleashed action inserted into a container that is as spectacular as it is all too often ephemeral, the third season of Slow Horses instead confirms the British series as a breath of fresh air. As in the previous episodes, the adventures of Jackson Lamb and his group of spies who are far from perfect both in their profession and in their private life represent a successful mix of genre and caustic character study. Another detail that is not negligible because it doesn’t happen often, on a narrative level the show has an even stronger tone than the novel Real Tigers by Mick Herron on which it is based.

This does not mean that the source text is not effective, far from it, but the script of the episodes makes the threat that the “Slow Horses” more serious and looming compared to the light tone of the written pages. In the case of the third season, in fact, substantial changes were made compared to the book, especially in the first part, finding a dramatic balance that works better on a logical level. In particular, the first three episodes are in this way compelling in the development of the spy story and also manage to restore the emotional depth, which especially regarding the character of Louisa Guy becomes even more melancholy. In the first scene of the new season, we meet two new characters, a man and a woman. She found out that he is having an affair with her (only her) to spy on her and runs away from her, he chases her but when he finds her it is too late. End of the prologue.

At the Pantano House, meanwhile, Jackson Lamb’s team is momentarily calm, apart from Louisa, who tries to forget the late Min by going out with a series of men she doesn’t care much about, while Ho would like to fill that emotional void that death of Min left. Cartwright would like to change jobs and goes for an interview to work in industrial security for a large company, but it doesn’t go well and he returns “home”, where Catherine Standish makes him archive some old files. But Catherine herself is captured and kidnapped one evening after her meeting with Alcoholics Anonymous. The man we saw in the first scene kidnapped her, but why did he do it? What do they want from Standish?

Slow Horses Season 3 Review and Analysis

Taken from the third novel of Mick Herron’s saga “The Tigers Are Around” (published by Feltrinelli), the third season of Slow Horses is the darkest and most cynical of the series. The bittersweet humor that surrounds every outcast of the Pantano is not absent, on the contrary: now that the characters are familiar to the viewer, the dynamics between them are finally more complex and in-depth. Showrunner Will Smith plays with the air of home that we now feel when we find ourselves at the Pantano (well-aimed kick to open the front door), inserting references and ironic nuances. River’s new encounter with the Hyde Park receptionist is a perfect example. Yet when it comes to hitting hard and hurting, the series doesn’t hesitate for a second.

Once again it is best to come prepared to watch, because no one is truly safe from a deadly twist, as it was for Min in the last season. Yet the deaths in Slow Horses, shocking as they are, always seem to be the result of a realistic reversal of fate, of a misinterpretation of one’s possibilities, rather than an effective but mean means of keeping the viewer in front of the television. Here Herron and Smith work hard to protect the series from the greatest danger: the paradox of seeing always effective and loyal agents remaining in the Pantano. The third season of Slow Horses works hard to remind us how each of Lamb’s subordinates is damaged, corroded, effective up to a point, and a nag in the blood. The center of this narrative is River, who continues to be an agent of exceptional abilities, raised by his grandfather to be a hero, but who in his nature is increasingly fallacious, and defective.

The third season focuses precisely on what others see but he doesn’t: what makes him constantly fail is the weight of the expectations that his grandfather’s legend places on his shoulders, the obsession with proving himself better to fill the void left by his many abandonments experienced (something that even John Le Carré recounted in the beautiful documentary The Pigeon Shoot ) and the fact that he, Lamb, Catherine are not cut out for MI5. Not for what MI5 is today. Slow Horses tells us with detachment and a good dose of disgust how the great intelligence game is becoming smaller and smaller in the face of those who are more committed to guaranteeing their investments (including financial ones) in the security of the country, without having any problems betraying their subordinates to weaken their enemies. Perhaps MI5 has never been anything different, as the evolution of the relationship between Lamb and Catherine suggests.

So perhaps River just has to decide who to be a less corrosive Lamb, a less martyr Catherine, a nag proud of it. While waiting for an answer in this sense, Slow Horses pulls a great season out of the hat: a great ambitious opening scene starring Katherine Waterston directly from Fantastic Beasts, perfect direction, editing, and photography, a Freddie Fox to applaud open scene, who after this exploit deserves someone to entrust him with a leading role. With the fourth season already ready (the trailer featuring Hugo Weaving awaits you at the end of the last episode), you really can’t ask for more from this stellar English series, other than to continue like this.

The magic formula of the series, however, remains intact: Slow Horses confirms itself to be the perfect antithesis of the James Bond saga, both for its continuous emphasis on the proverbial inability of Jackson Lamb’s “nags” – River’s choice to invoke the “Codice Settembre” at the end of last season certainly didn’t help rehabilitate them! – and for the total refusal to propose a story dedicated to cyber espionage and the latest generation gadgets. From this point of view, Slow Horses proves to be much closer to The Mole and author novels than to 007 and Mission Impossible, and even at the height of tension it always keeps its feet firmly planted on the ground, avoiding any type of exaggeration. This time too, at the center of the spy story there is never a supervillain who wants to conquer the world or a phantom threat that looms over the entire West: even when the going gets tough and stalking gives way to shootouts and chases, Slow Horses always offers us a solid and plausible plot, with stakes well placed in the real world.

The change of pace of Slow Horses Season 3, ultimately, does not sacrifice the winning formula of previous seasons at all, but enriches it with new nuances, confirming the extraordinary freshness of the series. However, the true beating heart of the series also and above all lies in its imperfect characters and their humanity, and the third season continues to work in this direction in the best possible way. The team of “nags”, and in particular the wizard of self-sabotage River Cartwright, are figures with whom it is truly impossible not to empathize with the passing of the episodes and seasons the Pantano gang has now taken on a very well-defined physiognomy, and Slow Horses Season 3 continues in this direction in the best possible way.

The colossal Gary Oldman deserves a special mention, whose performance confirms itself as an authentic jewel out of the category. Gruff, perpetually dirty, intractable, and irreverent – ​​but with a heart of gold, well hidden somewhere under his tattered coat and numerous extra kilos – his Jackson Lamb is now the most iconic face of the series, as well as a memorable milestone within the stellar career of the British actor (who will soon also be enriched by the leading role in Paolo Sorrentino’s new film). There is no point in wasting any more adjectives: Oldman is the true soul of Slow Horses, and without his fundamental contribution the series – however well-written and sumptuously shot – would not be the masterpiece it is. So, get ready for the usual, colorful rain of insults (“You’re as useless as a paper condom!”), for the sly glances and his metamorphic transformations from unpleasant tramp to tactical espionage genius: Jackson Lamb is in better shape than ever!

The point is: if you have loved this series up to now, you cannot for anything in the world miss the third season. Because Lamb is always magnificent in his role as dirty, ugly, vulgar, and bad but also an extraordinary secret agent (please allow us a spoiler: when he says that Standish’s kidnappers segregated her because they want to die, he exalted us). His team of agents is magnificent in its imperfection: from Louisa to Cartwright, from Ho to Dader and Longridge, all the nags are crazy, both in how the characters are written and in how they are played. In short, Slow Horses Season 3 does not disappoint expectations and remains at the very high levels of previous seasons. If, however, you have never seen Slow Horses, then the question is even simpler: start watching it and try to resist this series that keeps you in suspense while also making you laugh. You will hardly abandon it, trust me.

Slow Horses Season 3 Review: The Last Words

Slow Horses Season 3 moves into action and offers us a story full of shootouts and chases: the narrative, however, remains deeply rooted in reality, with caustic British irony and focus on its excellent characters. As always, Gary Oldman’s monumental Jackson Lamb towers over everything and everyone. Better than what came before and seen so far in Slow Horses, which was already moving at stellar levels. The only flaw with this series at the moment is that not everyone has seen it yet. Get it back as soon as possible. These new six episodes are as convincing as the previous twelve, confirming the quality of an all-British product that is much more serious than it perhaps wants us to believe it is.

Slow Horses Season 3 Review: Change of Pace, But with Our Feet on the Ground - Filmyhype

Pros

• The writing is smart and witty.
• The acting is top-notch.
• The plot is suspenseful and full of twists and turns.
• The characters are well-developed and complex.
• The show is darkly comedic.

Cons

• Slow pacing at times: The show's deliberate pace can make it feel slow-moving at times, especially in the early episodes.
• Some plot points may be convoluted: The complex plot can be difficult to follow at times, and some of the twists and turns may feel a bit contrived.
• Limited appeal to casual viewers: The show's dark humor and slow pacing may not appeal to viewers who prefer more action-packed or traditional spy thrillers.